Saskatchewan Sage

Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations Chief Perry Bellegarde is the first to declare his intentions to seek the position of National Chief for the Assembly of First Nations. Bellegarde took Shawn Atleo to a record eighth round of voting in Calgary in 2009 before conceding. Atleo was re-elected in 2012. Bellegarde did not run. Atleo resigned on May 1, 2014, amidst complaints he was too…

White Bear First Nation’s attempt to operate an online casino has come to an end. NorthernBearCasino.com began operating in 2012. In October, CEO Bernie Shepherd released a statement saying the GEObet-powered site had suspended operations indefinitely. Shepherd cited economic conditions in contributing to the site’s demise, describing the online gambling business as “very competitive.” In…

Despite a ruling from the Supreme Court outlining a new test for evidence acquired through the work of undercover police, Justice Gerald Allbright said there would be no mistrial in Douglas Hales’ trial in the murder of Daleen Bosse. Hales’ trial was in progress when the Supreme Court ruled on what is referred to as “Mr. Big” sting operations. Hales was recorded giving graphic accounts of…

Canada had the Catholic Church in court Oct. 9 and Oct. 10 at Saskatoon Court of Queen’s Bench for unpaid residential school money. The federal government said the Catholic Entities, which was one of four churches to sign the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement, still owes $1.6 million. The Aboriginal Healing Foundation, which ceased operation in September, was originally supposed…

A long-lost Treaty Four medal, one of 21 original medals presented to each chief who entered into treaty on Sept. 15, 1874, was returned to Treaty Four territory. The medal was in a private collection held by the late Robert D.W. Band and consigned for sale with Jeffrey Hoare Auctions on Sept. 20, 2014. After learning about the sale of the Treaty Four medal, Paula Acoose and her husband Ray…

TD Bank of Canada has provided a gift of $500,000 to the University of Saskatchewan for the Indigenous Land Management Institute in support of education, scholarships and research in the area of Indigenous economic development. The funding will support the work of the ILMI with half of the money going directly toward internships that support student work and research in Saskatchewan. “Today’s…

The Specific Claims Tribunal heard the final arguments in the Beardy’s & Okemasis claim regarding the wrongful withholding of annuities by the federal government. “Finally, after 14 years of waiting since we first filed our claim, our position that the Government of Canada was clearly in breach of its duties by punishing selected First Nations through the withholding of funds owed will be…

Alex Wilson, an Idle No More organizer as well as an associate professor in the Department of Educational Foundations and the Academic Director of the Aboriginal Education Research Centre at the University of Saskatchewan, recently told CBC News that not only is a national inquiry needed into the issue of missing and murdered Aboriginal women, but that it must be led by Indigenous women. “I…

Saskatchewan Social Services and the Yorkton Tribal Council Child and Family Services are reporting progress on 18 recommendations made after a 10-year-old boy killed a six-year-old boy in August 2013. The boy’s body was found in a wooded area not far from the Kahkewistahaw First Nation community centre. The recommendations came in May from the province’s children’s advocate Bob Pringle, who…

Treaty 4 Student Success Program Inc Executive Director Lori Whiteman (left) signed the MOU with Parkland College President Dr. Fay Myers establishing a formal relationship to improve pathways to post-secondary education for First Nations students in the Parkland Region. T4SSP is an educational organization that serves 11 First Nations in east-central and southeast Saskatchewan: Fishing Lake,…

The Prince Albert Model Forest Association has received $1.1 million from the federal government to partner with FPInnovations to provide guidance to Northern Saskatchewan forestry companies, particularly First Nations- and Métis-owned companies, to improve management and business practices, revise their product lines and increase marketing activities to be ready to enter new international…

The John Cochrane Band filed a statement of claim in Saskatoon Court of Queen’s Bench in August alleging Chief Perry Bellegarde, acting as executive authority for the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations, has improperly blocked the band’s membership claim. In September 2009, the claim says, FSIN’s joint executive council and Indian Government Commission unanimously approved the John…

Parkland College has signed two agreements that will help prepare students to work in Saskatchewan’s mining industry. Parkland College will join forces with Carlton Trail College and International Minerals Innovation Institute on multi-year projects, which will include developing an Aboriginal workforce for the mines and processing facilities. The first project funded by IMII is an…

The Whitecap Dakota First Nation is using the First Nations Land Management Act to build homes for sale, available to anyone. Construction began in May on four 1,190 square foot homes on the First Nation’s west side. These houses are the first of 10 to be built with a starting price of $371,000. Anyone who buys a house will technically be taking over a 99-year lease of the land, which will…

A monument that will have all the names of Métis veterans that fought in 1885, the First World War, the Second World War, and Korea was unveiled at this year’s Back to Batoche Days. “The monument speaks to the great respect we have for those who fought for our rights here on the battlefield of Batoche and for the rights and freedoms of all Canadians in global conflicts. While their numbers may…